Pastor Adeboye Kisses Wife At Surprise Book Launch

There was drama on Tuesday at the Youth Centre of the Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, as General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye kissed his wife during a book presentation in his honour.

An overwhelmed Pastor Adeboye, who apparently was surprised at the occasion said had he known about the project he would have stopped it as he did not deserve the honour.

His wife had hid information about the book from her husband for one year, saying that she planned it to coincide with his 75th birthday.

According to her, pastor Adeboye was only informed about the event a day before.

The Master of Ceremonies teased Folu to tell the audience the pet names she gave her husband, demanding an expression of love since the occasion also marked 50 years of their marriage.

“Pastor ID, why are you fast? This is just presentation of a book, not marriage anniversary. Whatever you want, I will do it…,” she replied, as she hugged the husband and went on to kiss him as the audience erupted in excitement.

In his remark, the renowned cleric expressed surprise at the book titled “Pastor E.A Adeboye, His Life And Calling, written by 40 people.

He said, “The event of today, without any doubt, has been a great surprise to me. This is because my wife hid it from me, and we don’t normally hide anything from each other, because we have been married for 50 years and we are still on honeymoon.

“Why the event is a surprise to me is that God also hid it for me. I had no inkling at all from my Daddy that something like this is happening. If God hid it from me, it must mean that He approved of it. My wife knows that if I had any idea about what is happening today, it will never happen. I would have stopped it long ago because who am I without Jesus Christ? If there is anyone to be celebrated, it should be Him.

“People say I am humble, but people need to know where I am coming from. I cannot say I have any ability or wisdom. Everything has been the Lord Himself. When I was about 40 and I saw grey hairs on my head, I wondered why and God said I was carrying a burden that was not mine.

“God said, ‘I am just using you as camouflage. People need to see someone. So, I am putting you forward so that I can do the work from behind.’ So, everything that is happening in RCCG, nothing is of Adeboye at all; it is all about God. So, for you to say you are writing a book about somebody that is nothing, someone who has almost zero beginning, from a poor family and passed through secondary school by God’s grace. For God to allow today to happen without telling me, it can only be that He wants to draw your attention to Himself that if you allow Him, He will do great things, using you as camouflage.”

Adeboye said it was a miracle he was at the occasion as he had slept one hour a night during the seven-day convention of the church which ended on Sunday.

While appreciating people who wished he lived long, he said he would die when his assignment was over.

“All those who prayed for me to be 80, I said amen. Those who said 90, I said amen to them, but those who said I would be 100, I did not answer them. Then someone said I would live to 120 and I said what would God say I did wrong to keep me for another 50 years? I will go as soon as I finish my assignment,” he added.

The cleric lauded his wife for always standing by him, saying she was the greatest gift he had aside from the Holy Spirit.

He recounted a year when they both fasted for 40 days three times over an issue, adding that his wife refused to back out when he asked her to stop.

“If you can find a woman that can stand by you with 40 days of prayer and fasting, first, second, third time and willing to go with you as long as possible, then I will classify your wife as second to mine. Without my wife, I cannot be doing what I am doing today,” he said.

Present an the occasion were Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church, Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo; and the General Overseer, Trinity House, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo.